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A small town in Haiti has experienced a tragic armed gang attack, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people, including young children. The community is grappling with the aftermath of this horrific violence, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to the ongoing turmoil.
While members of the Gran Grif gang rampaged through Pont-Sondé in the central Artibonite region—about 71 km (44 miles) northwest of Port-au-Prince—an estimated 50 individuals sustained injuries.
The video footage shows groups of people fleeing from the violence, traveling by foot and motorbike. A government prosecutor has called the attack “a massacre,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Large portions of Haiti are now under the control of armed gangs, leading to the initiation of a UN-supported policing mission in June, spearheaded by officers from Kenya, aimed at reclaiming control.
It is unclear exactly how many were killed in the attack, with local media citing more than 50 deaths, while a Haitian human rights group has reported at least 20 fatalities, as noted by AP.
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Gran Grif is said to be one of the most violent of Haiti’s gangs. In January 2023 its members were accused of attacking a police station near Port-Sondé and killing six officers. It is also blamed for forcing the closure of a hospital serving more than 700,000 people.
The gang has about 100 members and has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings, according to a UN report cited by AP. Both its founder and current leader are subject to US sanctions.
The rampage by gangs on Thursday took place almost a month after the Haitian government extended a state of emergency to include all regions of the country.
